Electric push-button



(No Model.)

" E. H. STANLEY.

ELECTRIC PUSH BUTTON.

Patented Oct. 19,1897.

v V? OR WITNESSES Tn: ucmms nnzns ca. PROTG-L UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIJAH H. STANLEY, OF LAKE GENEVA, WISCONSIN.

ELECTRIC PUSH-BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 591,895, dated October 19, 1897.

Application filed 138061111181 18, 1896. Serial No. 616,191. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELIJAH H. STANLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lake Geneva, in the county of Walworth and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Push-Buttons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to electric push-buttons.

The disadvantages incident to the ordinary form of push-button, composed of a back piece having screw-threads and a hollow shell, are that the threads are liable to become broken or damaged, so that the shell or casing is not properly held in position, and further it is difficult to fit the back plate snugly against the wall, inasmuch as the wires do not lead out centrally and hence are partly exposed.

My object is to dispense with the screwthreaded back plate commonly employed, and further to obviate the above trouble in respect of the protruding portions of the wires leading from the contact-strips.

I accomplish theforegoing objects, first, by the provision of a push-button constitutinga single shell adapted to be readily secured to the wall and carrying the contact mechanism and button, and, secondly, by providing a shell, as aforesaid, which has its back recessed in an improved manner, so that the portions of the wires which would otherwise protrude will be sunk, as it were, and hence the shell can be fixed snugly against the wall.

The invention will be more fully set forth in the following description, and the novel features thereof recited in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my button, Fig. 2 a bottom view, and Fig. 3 a section on the line as w of Fig. 2.

The shell is shown at 1, the same being formed of insulating material, preferably earthenware, and it has a flange provided with screw-holes 2, adapted to receive the screws for securing the shell to the wall.

This shell is provided with a central concavity 4:, from which extend branch recesses 3 3. The numerals 5 5 designate contact-strips which have portions located in the recesses 3 3 and secured therein by screws 6 6, which also serve as binding-screws for the wires 7 7.

It will be observed that the bottoms of the branch recesses 3 3 slant upwardly, and, as a consequence, the free ends of the contactstrips, which lie in the central concavity and are bent to bring them in proper arrangement, are better adapted to retain their resiliency after the button has been in use for some time. The button is shown at 8, the same working in an opening 9 in the shell and being adapted to cause the free ends of the strips to contact.

It will be seen that the wires,instead of lying against a solid back plate, as with the old push-button, can be bent into the recess, so that they will lead out centrally from the shell, and hence no obstruction will be offered to prevent the said shell from being fitted snugly against the wall.

An advantage is gained in forming the shell of earthenware, as it can be cheaply and rapidly constructed, and is a good insulator.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric push-button, the combination with a shell adapted to be secured directly to the wall and which has recesses in its back, of contact-strips secured in the bottoms of said recesses, and a push-button for 85 causing the free portions of the said strips to contact.

2. The herein-described push-button, comprising a shell provided with a central concavity and branch recesses, said shell having 0 a flange and adapted to be directly secured in position, contact-strips located in the bottoms of the branch recesses and having free portions projecting into the concavity, combined binding and fastening devices for the 5 contact-strips, and a button for causing the said strips to contact.

3. In an electric push-button, the combination with ashell made in a single piece having a flange and having its bottom provided :00

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib- 1o ing witnesses.

. ELIJ AH H. STANLEY.

Witnesses:

O. T. DOUGLAS, JOHN P. WILLIAMS. 

